Oncology nurses and ancillary support personnel who work in oncology settings are at risk for exposure to antineoplastic drugs in their workplaces. A review of the literature reveals issues of environmental contamination and personal exposure. Although the United States has no formal regulations regarding hazardous drugs, including cytotoxic agents, guidelines have been published and are readil...

UNLABELLED Inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins play a central role in many types of cancer, and IAP antagonists are in development as anticancer agents. IAP antagonists cause apoptosis in many cells, but they also activate alternative NF-κB signaling through NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK), which regulates osteoclasts. In bone metastasis, a positive feedback loop between tumors and osteoclasts pr...

The present study was undertaken to identify tumor vaccineinduced suppressor cells and to examine the effect of antineoplastic agents on their production and suppressor activity. Primary and secondary sensitization with concanavalin A (Con A)-bound L1210 murine leukemia cell vaccine induced sup pressor cells in the peritoneal cavity of histocompatible BALB/ c X DBA/2Cr F! mice. These cells phag...

Recent studies have indicated that the development of cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk)2 inhibitors that deregulate E2F are a plausible pharmacological strategy for novel antineoplastic agents. We show here that 3-[1-(3H-Imidazol-4-yl)-meth-(Z)-ylidene]-5-methoxy-1,3-dihydro-indol-2-one (SU9516), a novel 3-substituted indolinone compound, binds to and selectively inhibits the activity of cdk2. This...

Platinum-containing chemotherapy agents (cisplatin, carboplatin, oxaliplatin) have been approved in the first-line setting of numerous malignancies, such as ovarian, bladder, head and neck, colorectal, and lung cancer. Their extensive use over the last decade has led to a significant increase in the incidence of hypersensitivity reactions, which are defined as unforeseen reactions whose signs a...

A total of 389 compounds and 40 antibiotics were active in the sequential screening program for antineoplastic agents at Lederle Laboratories during the past 8 years . Many of these compounds were folic acid , alkylating agents , or nicotinamide antagonists (thiad.tazoles) . The distribution of anti neoplastic activity against the 3-tumor screen (Sarcoma 180 , 6C3HED ym, and 72j mammary adenoca...

Exposure to chemotherapy is a daily risk for nurses in oncology infusion centers. Although significant advances have been made in developing systems to make IV administration of antineoplastic agents safer, less attention has been given to developing systems to minimize exposure risk during instillation of intravesical chemotherapy. This article describes the use of a closed system developed at...

GST isozymes are an important part of the normal cellular defense against toxic xenobiotics and carcinogens. These multifunctional proteins can interact with a broad range of substrates in a variety of ways. In particular, GSTs have been implicated in the detoxication of many antineoplastic agents. Elevated levels of certain GST isozymes have been associated with malignant transformation and wi...

Cytotoxicity and mitochondrial parameters were studied in isolated lymphocytes and their mitochondria obtained from occupationally exposed nurses through inhalation exposure to antineoplastic drugs and results were compared to those of unexposed nurses. The group of occupationally exposed nurses consisted of 50 individuals ranging in age from 30 to 35 years. The control group included 50 nurses...

During the past decade, cancer drug development has shifted from a focus on cytotoxic chemotherapies to drugs that target specific molecular alterations in tumors. Although these drugs dramatically shrink tumors, the responses are temporary. Research is now focused on overcoming drug resistance, a frequent cause of treatment failure. Here we reflect on analogous challenges faced by researchers ...